Seven bids at the starting gate
Interest in hosting new track shows horse racing ‘is very much alive’: CEO
Seven different organizations are now in the running to host a new top-tier horse racing track in the Edmonton area, including the Enoch Cree Nation.
“We’re delighted that we had seven. It’s a strong message to the industry and to fans,” said Horse Racing Alberta chief executive Shirley McClellan. “Horse racing is very much alive in Alberta.”
Horse Racing Alberta has been looking for a new Schedule A track hosting at least 100 racing days a year since Northlands decided to end horse racing at their location. Northlands would like to turn the track into an outdoor music venue.
Horse Racing Alberta issued a request for expressions of interest at the end of April, after the province announced a new 10-year funding deal to support the industry with gaming revenues. Its seven responses will go to an external committee for review. Successful applications will advance to a request for proposal stage requiring more detail, and the organization hopes to have a successful bid by the end of the summer.
“We’re really, really hoping to have a new track for the 2018 season,” said McClellan.
Enoch First Nation Chief Billy Morin said he’s “very confident” the band can make the $75-million investment work, building on the existing River Cree Resort & Casino. It announced a bid in a news release Tuesday. The other groups that submitted proposals aren’t known.
“We’re the top gaming producing casino in Alberta easily,” said Morin, saying the casino makes several times the revenue per win as the slots do at Northlands, where the races were seen as a money loser.
“We advertise better, we market better. We bring in a more diverse crowd,” he said.
A horse-racing track usually comes with a racing casino licence, which offsets the cost of the races and purse. The River Cree complex also has a Marriott Hotel, an entertainment venue that frequently hosts western or country music acts, and several restaurants. Plus, Morin said, being on the reserve means the complex has tax advantages.
The First Nation is located on the southwest boundary of Edmonton. It has a long history with horses and horse racing, said Morin.
The group used to care for a 1,000-horse herd for Fort Edmonton during the city’s early days, and the First Nation embraced horse racing in the 1970s and 1980s. Many Edmonton-area trainers, jockeys and owners participated with quarter horse and thoroughbred racing at the Enoch Park track when it was open.